Thursday, October 15, 2015

Heavy Static from the State Department

QUESTION: All right. And then the visit to Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif by Israelis, is that – does the Administration consider that to be visits to there – does the Administration consider that to be incitement?MR KIRBY: I’m not going to be able to characterize every single act with terminology. What the Secretary has said and stands by is that we want to see the status quo restored, the status quo arrangement there on Haram al-Sharif and the Temple Mount, and for both sides to take actions to de-escalate the tensions. So incitement can take many forms. Again, I’m not going to – I’m not going to go through a laundry list of what is or what isn’t. I mean, the Secretary spoke specifically about incitement yesterday, and we recognize that incitement can go both ways here. But it’s the – whether it’s action or rhetoric, it’s things that encourage others to continue this cycle of violence, it’s just not helpful and not going to get us to what we really want to see there.QUESTION: Is it the Administration’s position that the status quo at the Temple Mount has been broken?MR KIRBY: Well, certainly, the status quo has not been observed, which has led to a lot of the violence.

That is wrong.

A lie. A misrepresentation of the truth.

A bald-faced lie. This is so deeply mistaken, it’s hard to know where it’s coming from.

Well, if he was referring to the Jews it is.

If he was referring to the Muslims, then he is correct.

They have built at least three new mosques within the compound since 1967.

They have instituted many new administrative procedures.

They have dumped hundreds of tons of dirt outside the site containing arachaeological artifacts.

They have defaced, destroyed or covered up Jewish historical remains.

They have instituted the introduction of gangs of ruffians to harrass and attack Jewish visitors.

"Restored"? Israel has not altered it.

Now, what exactly did Kirby mean?

And it went on:

QUESTION: I just have one really quick one. Just four days ago the prime minister’s office said that Kerry – and I’m quoting here – “clarified that the U.S. is aware of the fact that it is Israel’s policy to maintain the status quo” on the Temple Mount “and not to change it.” That’s from the Israeli side. That’s a readout from the Israeli side. I understand you’re saying that there have been breaches of that, but it is your understanding that the Israeli policy is not to change the policy or --MR KIRBY: I’m not – it’s not my place to characterize Israeli policy. I can only tell you what our policy is and what we’d like to see.......QUESTION: So I just have two extremely brief ones, so we can move on after that. You said in answer to my question on the status quo whether – at the Temple Mount whether it’s been broken or not, you said that it has not been observed and that is what has led to – I think. I’ll go back and look at the transcript, but I think you said it had not been – it was not – has not been observed and that is what has led to a great deal of the violence. That certainly sounds like you’re affixing some kind of blame to Israel if this is, in fact, what the Administration believes has led to the violence – the visits by – visit by Israelis to --MR KIRBY: Well, it’s not about believing it, Matt. I mean, you just looked at what’s been happening in that – on Haram al-Sharif and the Temple Mount recently. I mean, just if we’re looking at this in acute – through an acute lens, I mean, the activity there, the status quo not being observed, has led to violence. There’s – that’s indisputable. That’s not a belief; that’s a fact.QUESTION: Okay. But that --MR KIRBY: Now, but it’s not about – but it’s not about affixing blame on one side or the other. There’s a status quo there. There’s a status quo --QUESTION: It certainly sounds like it, no?MR KIRBY: No, there’s a status quo there that we want to see restored, and the status quo has worked in the past in keeping things calm.

1 comment:

The Arabs have progressively stripped away Jewish rights on the Temple Mount since 1967 under the nebulous and misleading title of status quo, with the connivance of Israeli governments.

Its gotten so absurd that peaceful Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount is now considered a change in the status quo. Never mind the fact such a ban did not even exist in 1967.

I would love to know what status quo the State Department could be referring to. No one remembers the anti-Semitic apartheid regime on the Temple Mount originally being part of that arrangement.

Is the US government demanding Israel deny Jews basic human freedoms to mollify Jew-hating Arabs? This would not be the first time in history that Jews have been asked to degrade themselves so anti-Semites would feel comfortable in their own skin.

About Me

American born, my wife and I moved to Israel in 1970. We have lived at Shiloh together with our family since 1981. I was in the Betar youth movement in the US and UK. I have worked as a political aide to Members of Knesset and a Minister during 1981-1994, lectured at the Academy for National Studies 1977-1994, was director of Israel's Media Watch 1995-2000 and currently, I work at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem. I was a guest media columnist on media affairs for The Jerusalem Post, op-ed contributor to various journals and for six years had a weekly media show on Arutz 7 radio. I serve as an unofficial spokesperson for the Jewish Communities in Judea & Samaria.